[ad_1]
As the US administration prepares to implement its long-awaited plan for peace in the Middle East, signs of growing instability and dismay are emerging in Jordan.
Faced with growing demands for major political and economic reforms in the kingdom, King Abdullah II seems to fear that his kingdom will pay a heavy price, whether he accepts or rejects the agreement.
According to political badysts, the biggest fear of the monarch is that this plan requires Jordan to absorb millions of Palestinians who already live in the kingdom. Abdullah also fears that the plan will end the historic Hashemite custody on the holy sites of Jerusalem for the benefit of other Arab and Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
In an attempt to rebadure the Jordanian monarch, US President Donald Trump's envoy, Jason Greenblatt, addressed Twitter last month to announce: "King Abdullah II and Jordan are powerful allies of the United States . Rumors that our vision of peace includes a confederation between Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority [Palestinian Authority], or that the vision plans to make Jordan the homeland of the Palestinians, are incorrect. Please, do not spread rumors. "
The announcement by Greenblatt has so far failed to calm the King and other Jordanians, who continue to talk about an American "conspiracy" against Jordan.
Worse, Jordanian officials and political badysts fear that several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, are making "a connotation" with the Trump government to force Jordan to make large concessions to facilitate the implementation of the law. l & # 39; agreement.
The most important concession, they believe, will take the form of the resettlement of millions of Palestinians in the kingdom, where the economy is facing enormous challenges, not only because of the Palestine refugees, Iraq and Syria and the decline in foreign aid, but also as a result of widespread corruption and mismanagement.
A report released last week by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Jordan had continued to preserve macroeconomic stability in a challenging environment. As a result, the kingdom will still need substantial donor involvement, the report says.
Noting that global, regional and national environments are expected to remain difficult, the IMF report says Jordan will continue to host nearly 1.4 million Syrian refugees in a period of low growth, high unemployment and significant financial needs.
The report also pointed out that Jordan has "withstood a series of serious shocks for several years now; In addition to hosting Syrian refugees, the kingdom has also suffered a disruption of export markets and essential transportation axes, as well as an increase in borrowing costs. "
The economic crisis and recurrent news of corruption cases in both the public and private sectors have triggered a wave of protests in Amman and other Jordanian cities in recent months.
The demonstrations are mainly directed against the government, although some Jordanians have also taken the unusual step of criticizing the king and holding him accountable for the government's bad policies.
The protests recently prompted Abdullah to order a reshuffle of the Jordanian government – the third of its kind in less than a year. This decision falls within the context of the King's efforts to address the economic challenges and prepare Jordan for the Trump Peace Agreement.
Jordan's Minister of Media Affairs Jumana Ghunaimat said last March that "some people are trying to question Jordan's positions in order to destabilize the country."
Jordan's stance on the Palestinian issue and Jerusalem is unshakable, namely the two-state solution in line with international legitimacy and the creation of an independent Palestinian state, she added.
His remarks reflect Jordan's concern about Trump's forthcoming plan, particularly as a result of reports that it makes no reference to the two-State solution. This triggered a wave of rumors among Jordanians about a US-Israeli "conspiracy" to turn Jordan into a Palestinian state.
The rumors were reinforced by claims that Abdullah would be kept out of the details of the peace plan.
The former Jordanian Minister of Information, Samih al-Maaytah, said Jordan always wanted to be informed and consulted on any future peace plan.
"Jordan has good relations with the United States and plays a role in regional issues," he told pan-Arab media outlet The New Arab. "Jordan wants a plan based on the [2002] Arab peace initiative and international resolutions. Jordan wants a viable initiative. Jordan has not left the equation of peace and a political solution. "
Maaytah said Jordan was "pro-active, locally and internationally," in preparation for the announcement of Trump's plan, to stress the need to resolve Palestinian refugee problems and resettlement. [of Palestinians].
Several Jordanians and Palestinians who have met Abdullah in recent weeks have stated that he complained of the pressure exerted by some Arab countries and by the US administration for it not to reject the peace plan.
Jordanian MP Musa Hantash, who met with the king last month, claimed that an Arab country was willing to pay Jordan's debts in exchange for the King's acceptance of the Trump plan and the Inscription of the Muslim Brotherhood on the list of terrorism. Hantash himself is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
He did not name the country, although unconfirmed reports have indicated Saudi Arabia.
"The Hashemite rulers totally reject anyone who intervenes in Jordanian society and politics," Hantash told the Jordanian news website Saraya News. He went on to quote Abdullah, baderting to himself and to other Muslim Brotherhood deputies that the Hashemite guard of the holy places in Jerusalem was "threatened" by several parties.
In a television interview last month, prominent Jordanian editorialist Maher Abu Tir told Jordan that an amount of $ 100 billion had been allocated to Jordan for economic projects and grants as part of of the peace plan.
Jordan, he said, is today at a "very difficult and sensitive juncture. Jordan's chances of accepting the deal are impossible, even though many believe that the kingdom will eventually surrender to the pressure. However, there are also many sensitivities related to what is happening in Jordan. As everyone knows, Jordan can not be involved in such solutions. "
Abu Tir said Jordan was betting on the fact that Palestinians would be the first to reject Trump's plan.
"Jordan is betting on the Palestinians to reject the plan because of their direct involvement," he added. "Jordan is also counting on the Europeans to reject this agreement because, according to confirmed information, they do not support its formula.Jordan can not publicly reject this formula and will not be the first to reject it.But Jordan is betting on other "seatbelts" that would oppose this agreement. "
The columnist predicted that Jordan's final rejection of the Trump deal would be very expensive. "Similarly, accepting the plan will also be very expensive for Jordan," he said. "We face two costs – and we have to choose one."
The concern over the impending revelation of the plan, accompanied by the growing demand for major economic and political reforms in the kingdom, would be the reason for the recent upheaval of the high spheres of power and government in Amman.
While the cabinet reshuffle is seen as an attempt to resolve the economic crisis, other measures taken by the king indicate that he could also face real and unprecedented challenges in his country.
Earlier this month, Abdullah fired the director of the country's general intelligence department, Adnan al-Jundi. The king said his decision was motivated by complaints of "abuse" under the administration of al-Jundi.
The king did not provide details about the allegations of abuse. However, he explained that the decision to replace the head of the intelligence services "came at a delicate stage for the region as a whole and faced with the gigantic and unprecedented challenges created by regional changes and a unique and tense global climate" .
In addition to the dismissal of the head of the intelligence services, the king also dismissed several senior officials of the royal palace. According to unconfirmed reports, he also ordered the replacement of the security guards of many members of the royal family.
The dismissal of the chief intelligence and senior officials of the royal palace came about almost immediately after a Kuwaiti newspaper announced a "dangerous" plan to destabilize Jordan. According to the report, the man behind the "infernal plan" is the husband of the king's aunt, a wealthy businessman accused of financial corruption.
Palestinians in the West Bank who have visited Jordan in recent weeks have said the kingdom is inundated with rumors and conspiracy theories, as more and more calls for economic and political reforms and leaks concerning the peace plan.
"The situation in Amman is very tense," said a Ramallah businessman who travels regularly to Jordan. "The economic situation is very bad and many people complain that Syrian refugees are taking their jobs. In addition, there is talk of several senior political and security officials who may be involved in attempts to undermine the monarchy. "
A Palestinian Authority official, who returned from Amman last week, said Jordanian officials had told him that Abdullah was "unhappy" with the Trump administration and some Arab states. . "The king feels that he has been left alone to face serious challenges at home and abroad," said an AP official. "He fears that Trump's plan is exacerbating tensions in the kingdom and creating a gap between Jordan and other Arabs."
To sum up Jordan's plight, a veteran political badyst in Amman said the kingdom was facing "existential challenges" as a result of the peace plan.
The king's efforts, he said, "should be aimed at preserving Jordan's survival, independence and stability, while advocating absolutely necessary political and economic reforms".
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $ 5 and enhance your experience with an ad-free website and exclusive content. Click here >>
[ad_2]
Source link
